 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
In 2003, it became clear that the need for the type of residential care the General Protestant Children’s Home (GPCH), now the YouthBridge Community Foundation, provided was diminishing. At the same time, there was a need for housing and support for families traveling to the area to receive specialized medical care for their children. The challenge was how to create a new, and much needed, social venture and maximize its success.
With that challenge, the first social enterprise investment by YouthBridge was launched, and in 2004, HavenHouse St. Louis became a reality. HavenHouse was founded with the mission to provide the comfort of home and a community of support for families traveling to St. Louis to receive medical care for their children. YouthBridge provided start-up capital, a building lease for a very nominal rate and talented and dedicated staff to ensure its success.
HavenHouse now annually serves more than 1,200 children and their families who come to St. Louis from all over the world for specialized, extended care at one of five area pediatric hospitals. With newly created innovative revenue streams, HavenHouse is on the road to becoming fully self-sufficient, enabling it to continue its important mission of serving the families of children who need medical care.
To learn more about HavenHouse St. Louis click on the icon above or visit www.havenhouststl.org.
|
Created in 1995, St. Louis ArtWorks has served more than 1,200 teens by providing a unique job opportunity in the visual, literary and performing arts. The youth are hired for six weeks each summer and 10 weeks in the fall and spring as apprentices with some of the region's most notable artists. During the inaugural Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) program, the St. Louis ArtWorks’ team developed the concept of the Boomerang Press, a teen-powered social enterprise to create, produce and sell a line of note and greeting cards. The proposed Boomerang Press would employ at-risk youths in a year-round training and apprenticeship program, teach them art and business skills and provide an earned income stream for ArtWorks.
After winning the competition, the Boomerang Press became a reality, and YouthBridge funded the social enterprise. ArtWorks has grown by 60 percent with plans to employ 210 young artists by 2010. “While the numbers of youth are significant, the real value of the program is the positive impact it has had on the apprentices, 70 percent of whom have gone to college or art related careers, including the Art Institutes of Kansas City, Chicago and San Francisco.” ArtWorks Executive Director Priscilla Blocksaid of the new social enterprise.
In 2008, the St. Louis region was named one of 10"All America" cities by the National Civic League. St. Louis was cited for three projects - one being St. Louis ArtWorks/Boomerang Press. This recognition resulted in additional commissions for cards and other work.
To learn more about St. Louis Artworks and Boomerang Press, visit www.stlartworks.org.
|
|
The Missouri Alliance for Children and Families (MACF) provides services encouraging families to reduce their reliance on government programs by developing personal skills to keep their family safe and secure. The motivation to form the company was out of concern for emotionally disturbed children who were being ineffectively served by the existing public system.
In 1997, board members and chief executives of nine major private social service agencies, including YouthBridge, founded the company. Its mission was to improve the success rate for children’s care through intensive, community-based, family-centered services rather than the traditional institutional behavior modification and individual therapy programs.
YouthBridge, along with the other owners, invested in the innovative company, which began operations in Jefferson City and St. Louis. After 11 years, the program has a successful integration rate of more than 60 percent and has expanded to southwest Missouri and Kansas City. More than 1,000 children are now being served, and 25 percent are being successfully removed from the welfare rolls annually. In addition, more than 1,000 alumni of the program are progressing successfully in school and life, and the recidivism rate dropped from 90 percent to 30 percent.
"This partnership is very innovative," said Dick Matt, President and CEO of Missouri Alliance for Children and Families. "We are one of the few organizations in the nation to work together like this, and to have such a high succes rate is even more amazing."
Visit www.ma-cf.org or click on the icon above to learn more about the Missouri Alliance for Children and Families.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|